FDI issues statement on sustainable healthcare

The FDI World Dental Federation launched its inaugural Consensus Statement on Environmentally Sustainable Oral Healthcare.

The international body for organised dentistry said the Statement is “aimed at moving the oral healthcare sector towards more environmentally friendly practices that ultimately reduce the carbon footprint of the profession”.

It was released at a special summit organized by FDI that assembled a diverse group including industry and opinion leaders, influential stakeholders, healthcare professionals, dental academicians, dental associations and legislative officials.

“It will come as a surprise to many people that the healthcare sector is responsible for around five per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, of which oral healthcare is an important contributor,” said Prof Ihsane Ben Yahya, FDI President and Dean, Faculty of Dentistry, Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, Casablanca, Morocco.

“The dental industry has a collective responsibility to reduce its environmental impact and today’s Consensus Statement is the first major step to achieving that. The Consensus Statement reflects the growing recognition within the oral healthcare community that we must strive to improve oral health in a sustainable manner in compliance with UN targets. Healthier mouths mean a healthier planet.”

According to FDI’s press information, the oral healthcare profession and industry place a burden on the environment through several ways: Air pollution and CO₂ emissions associated with travel and transport; waste incineration; lack of recyclable packaging; the greenhouse gas impact of anaesthetic gases such as nitrous oxide; and the high consumption of water.

Espousing a “4R” remediation strategy, the Consensus Statement recommends the following: Reduce, Recycle, Reuse and Rethink.

As opposed to “unavoidable environmental impacts” – such as providing accessible dental check-ups and treatments to facilitate good oral health and reduce inequalities in healthcare – the Statement advocates minimizing “avoidable” oral healthcare.

This, it said, is achieved through the “delivery and maintenance of good oral healthcare, focused on prevention with the promotion of good oral hygiene, healthy low-sugar diets, and avoidance of tobacco”.

“Prevention is better than cure and it is the most impactful and practical way of reducing the need for clinical interventions and associated environmental impacts,” said Prof. Nicolas Martin, Chair of the FDI Sustainability in Dentistry Task Team and Clinical Professor in Restorative Dentistry, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield in the UK.

“When treatment is required, oral healthcare should focus on the provision of durable fillings, using high-quality products and materials that will last longer and/or require fewer replacements.”

FDI World Dental Federation is the representative body for over 1 million dentists worldwide; its membership including some 200 national dental associations and specialist groups in over 130 countries.

Targeting dental practitioners, patients, and the supply chain, FDI’s Sustainability in Dentistry project was established to motivate and inspire commitment to reduce the collective CO2 footprint of dentistry.

Read the full FDI Consensus Statement.